50mpg?

[garethj]

It's been at least 6 months since I've changed cars, well overdue in anyone's book.

 

My route to work is 12 miles across some lovely windy roads and the Ginetta is perfect - with cheapy tyres it doesn't really grip but it handles very nicely. Driving it like this gives me 24mpg, 28mpg if I'm frugal.

 

Part of my 12 miles is a mile of speedbumps, and 3 miles of unclassified road with potholes. This is where things get a bit jiggly, and on the speedbumps a comfortable speed is 15mph. This means I get a few suicidal overtakes.

 

The next car, should be able to do 50mpg, cope with badly maintained roads, and be a bit of a laugh.

 

Any suggestions?

[ashmicro]

Hyundai Accent CRDi. Dirt cheap, fairly well made, not bad to drive.

Rover 200 (R3) L Series diseasel. CLASS.

Maybe look for an XJ40 Jaaaaaaaaaag with a Nissan diseasel conversion.

[Cavcraft]

BX TD or Xantia. Both ace on fuel, both ace on speed bumps.

[Negative Creep]

PSA 1.9 diesel

[garethj]

BX TD or Xantia. Both ace on fuel, both ace on speed bumps.

That's what came to my mind too, how reliable is a BX likely to be? And how much does the discerning punter pay for one?

[Andrew353w]

Agree with Cavette's thoughts on the Citroens/Peugeots. Went to Walton On The Naze yesterday with the current Mrs. H and had a great day out! Mileage was just over 200 and we filled up before and after, just to check the MPG on my wife's Peugeot 106 Zest, and we obtained 55.7 (yes, fifty-five point seven!) MPG. The run included huge amounts of motorway and fast roads (M25 & A12) and I wasn't exactly hanging about.

 

We were thinking of changing it, but for a 1996 car, with a 1100cc engine and NO problems, why bother? Well done, Peugeot!

[Pete-M]

Skoda Octavia.

 

BXs and Xantias I've always found to be shite at speedbumps. Brilliant at everything else, but speedbumps are their downfall.

[Cavcraft]

A properly set up (i.e decent spheres) BX is fantastic over speed bumps, virtualy glide over them.

 

Gareth: they do take some looking after (pipes/spheres/octopus etc) but are very rewarding to drive.

 

I'd have thought £500-600 should get you a nice one, a bit more for top draw stuff as values have risen over the last couple of years.

TDs pull very well indeed, first gear almost useless but they don't half go well when the turbo kicks in.

The 1.9 n/a won't set the world alight but I've found them more reliable and they're better on fuel. Bosch pumped versions GR8 4 VEG OIL cheapness.

The 1.7 n/a diesels (if you can find one) are pretty slow but fantastic on fuel.

 

BXClub or BXProject (on-line forums) full of helpful advice and what not, including cars for sale which pop up fairly often.

[Pete-M]

A properly set up (i.e decent spheres) BX is fantastic over speed bumps, virtualy glide over them.

 

Hmm. I've never rated them over speed bumps. Even when they were new. Same with Xantias, XMs, C5s etc.

 

I've always found spherically suspended Citroens to ride brilliantly most of the time, but found that they fail dismally at transverse ruts or ridges, which is essentially what speed bumps are. I've always found the Hydro-Cit to be jittery and crashy over the full-size speedbumps, and they don't have a wide enough track to take the pillow speedbumps with impunity. The back suspension on Bentley Turbo Rs can't deal with speedbumps too well either, must be a spherical thing..

 

Speed bumps and hump-back bridges are about the only things that Hydro-Cits can't deal with.

[Milford Cubicle]

Land Rover Stage One V8.

 

Rather than going all dieselly, have you considered something like a Peugeot 106 1.1? They are pretty nippy, thrifty and good fun to drive. Bit expensive due to being 'GR8 4 NU DRIVAZ' though.

 

Rover 220Dis are fun, proper hot hatch performance through the gears. The handling is cracking too despite the boat anchor in the nose.

Avoid one with a sunroof if you're tall.

[dieselnutjob]

Peugeot 305 1.9 diesel if you can find one

used to drive mine pretty fast down farm tracks and the like and it didn't care

I also went over a breeze block that had fallen off a lorry on the M11 once in the middle of the night. I didn't see it until it was too late.

It hit a few bits n pieces underneath but no actual damage

the initial impact point I measured as being 8 inches off the ground. I don't think you can drive many cars over an 8 inch block at 70mph and get away with it

[Justin Case]

Citroen Xsara 1.9TD if that isn't too new for you. It handles quite well and it's better over bumps than the Xantia but without the magic carpet ride . The estate is a reasonable load-lugger to boot (dreadful pun intended )

[pogweasel]

PEUGEOT 104.

(if you can find one, that is).

[garethj]

Peugeot 106 Zest, and we obtained 55.7 (yes, fifty-five point seven!) MPG.

Hmmm, I had a 106 Rallye when it was new, and it was good fun when you thrash it but otherwise a bit boring I thought. How do they ride over bad roads and speedbumps?

 

Skoda Octavia.

Probably out of my budget? I don’t really want to spend more than I’d get for the Ginetta. 20p then....

 

A properly set up (i.e decent spheres) BX is fantastic over speed bumps, virtualy glide over them.

 

Gareth: they do take some looking after (pipes/spheres/octopus etc) but are very rewarding to drive.

 

I'd have thought £500-600 should get you a nice one, a bit more for top draw stuff as values have risen over the last couple of years.

TDs pull very well indeed, first gear almost useless but they don't half go well when the turbo kicks in.

The 1.9 n/a won't set the world alight but I've found them more reliable and they're better on fuel. Bosch pumped versions GR8 4 VEG OIL cheapness.

The 1.7 n/a diesels (if you can find one) are pretty slow but fantastic on fuel.

 

BXClub or BXProject (on-line forums) full of helpful advice and what not, including cars for sale which pop up fairly often.

Cheers dude!

 

Land Rover Stage One V8.

I could get 50mpg if I didn’t switch the engine on!

Rover 220Dis are fun, proper hot hatch performance through the gears. The handling is cracking too despite the boat anchor in the nose.

Avoid one with a sunroof if you're tall.

I hadn’t thought of that, I’ll keep an eye open. How do they ride over the bumps?

 

Peugeot 305 1.9 diesel if you can find one

used to drive mine pretty fast down farm tracks and the like and it didn't care

I like that idea. Is rust the big killer? I haven’t seen any on the roads for years – I went to look at one when I was 18 and it was rare even then, and that was 20 years ago.

 

Citroen Xsara 1.9TD if that isn't too new for you. It handles quite well and it's better over bumps than the Xantia but without the magic carpet ride . The estate is a reasonable load-lugger to boot (dreadful pun intended )

Probably a bit new, a bit more electronics and therefore a bit less reliable than I need.

 

PEUGEOT 104.

(if you can find one, that is).

A mate had a Talbot Samba when we were teenagers, it was dire. I just couldn’t

 

Top replies so far, thanks chaps

[M'coli]

We take a 106 to Ireland and it copes their with bumps ok.

[Richard]

Don't get a 1.9 Xantia if you want 50mpg, any kind of spirited or challenging driving will put it below 40mpg. The car is just too heavy for the 1.9TD engine. I believe the 2.1 is much better on fuel and I know the 110HDi is.

 

My Renault Savanna could squeeze 45mpg and quite a lot of fun out of its n/a 1.9D engine, despite being woefully underpowered at 65BHP, and the ride and handling were superb. Not the easiest thing to find now though.

[wuvvum]

[155V6]

Rover Metro Diesel,don't they have the same engine as the 106?

[Rocket88]

It's been at least 6 months since I've changed cars, well overdue in anyone's book.

 

My route to work is 12 miles across some lovely windy roads and the Ginetta is perfect - with cheapy tyres it doesn't really grip but it handles very nicely. Driving it like this gives me 24mpg, 28mpg if I'm frugal.

 

Part of my 12 miles is a mile of speedbumps, and 3 miles of unclassified road with potholes. This is where things get a bit jiggly, and on the speedbumps a comfortable speed is 15mph. This means I get a few suicidal overtakes.

 

The next car, should be able to do 50mpg, cope with badly maintained roads, and be a bit of a laugh.

 

Any suggestions?

How about a swop, your Ginetta for my 505 dizzler estate?

[dieselnutjob]

I like that idea. Is rust the big killer? I haven’t seen any on the roads for years – I went to look at one when I was 18 and it was rare even then, and that was 20 years ago.

series 2 305s can be rust free, or can be rotten. I had ones that rusted out and others that were completely solid with no explanation for the difference. The steering is pretty heavy and many turns lock to lock if you don't have power steering, and most didn't

 

the 305 saloons had simple trailing arms and struts so they don't get the collapsing pivot bearings like 205s and 309s

[Guest]

Get a Daihatsu Charade Diesel Turbo!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-dtO-B300A

 

Good for 100mpg and not quite as comically slow as you'd expect.

[dieselnutjob]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0496963280

[garethj]

That could tick the boxes. How reliable are they? Rusty? Which is the one to get or avoid?

 

Rover Metro Diesel,don't they have the same engine as the 106?

I think a little bit of sick just came up....

 

How about a swop, your Ginetta for my 505 dizzler estate?

Tell me more! Condition, miles, rust etc. Would it really do 50 to the gallon on cross country roads, I’d have thought 35-40mpg was more like it? Does it run on veg oil? How is it across the bumps?

 

Get a Daihatsu Charade Diesel Turbo!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-dtO-B300A

 

Good for 100mpg and not quite as comically slow as you'd expect.

Was that the one that was advertised as 100mpg and 100mph? It kind of tickles my fancy but with a short wheelbase and tiny tyres, wouldn’t the ride be a bit jiggly?

[pogweasel]

205 is a good choice, rusty? Not very. In fact not very much at all. Reliable? Very. Simple and durable with the addded bonus of being able to hurl them about with abandon.

1.9 dizzler (it is a 1.9 isn't it?) or 1.1 pez for the mingebag win, though if going for a petrol one make sure you get one with a 5-speed box else your ears will bleed on the motorway.

Nice late-model diesel 3-door will tick all boxes for a very small fee.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1996-PEUGEOT-205- ... 0660596671

[Cavcraft]

205 dizzlers are indeed ace. They can suffer the usual Pug syndrome though, i.e a million annoying squeeks/rattles and doors that only open when they want to, but they're very, very good little cars.

1796cc or thereabouts I think and the turbo ones are great fun.

[ChinaTom]

I think the early 205 diesels were 1800cc and about 60bhp - the TD's were the 1900cc - a nice 205 STDT would be great.

 

I recall driving my old dear's 205 1.1 Style on a daily basis between Stoke Ferry and Newmarket on fenland backroads. It was bloody hard work!

 

Did the 205 ever get the 1900 n/a engine? How were they badged?

[Milford Cubicle]

All 205 diesels are 1.8s.

I've driven a non turbo, and that was pretty good fun. It felt quite muscular, which must be down to the tiny weight and big relatively torquey engine.

[Cavcraft]

I don't think the TDs were a 1.9 tbh Tom, I'm sure they share the same engine as the BX 1.7TD (1769cc?) as the 1.9TD would have been utterly mental in the 205 and very fifficult to keep on the road.

I stand to be corrected here by the way.

[Rocket88]

Tell me more! Condition, miles, rust etc. Would it really do 50 to the gallon on cross country roads, I’d have thought 35-40mpg was more like it? Does it run on veg oil? How is it across the bumps?

 

505 has a 2. 5 n/a dizzler,5 speed manual, and p.a.s great ground clearance, comfiest seats evah! I'm getting 38/39 mpg in Jersey, previous owner took it to France and got mid fifties. I'm pretty sure it'll run on diluted chicken beaks if you asked it nicely! It's early nineties done a paltry 66k miles. Handles ok, although the great lump up front does make it a bit understeery

[MK5 Escort]

I've never experienced a 205 in diesel form, so I can't comment. I’d definitely have a late 205 over a 106 though. They're decent to drive, seem to be quite resistant to rust and given it's quite a lightweight, I will be surprised if the dizzler didn't manage 50mpg. The smaller petrol units are economical enough, but are strained out of urban conditions. The radio should be enough to drown out most of the buzzes and creaks I suspect they’ll all have now.

 

My brother had an L reg Peugeot 106 Rallye. It was only about four years old at the time. Great to drive but otherwise it was a horrid stripped out little box. Very noisy, tinny and this particular example was unreliable. The ride was crashy too but then again, it was the Rallye. The final straw come when the clutch cable disintegrated on the A5104 just outside Saltney at 11pm on rainy, winters night. He only had it about six/seven months from memory. The seats were very comfortable though and I really liked the red carpets. I'll hold my hands up and admit I've had a bit of a vendetta against 106’s ever since..., sorry M’coli!

 

I'm pretty sure the Rover Metro/100 did have the same diesel as the 106 but as you probably know, they rust at an alarming rate. After saying that, there's a very tidy white 'N' plate 115SD on eBay at the moment that's done bugger all in terms of mileage. Judging by the fact it's reserve seems to be close to the £700 mark, the owner wants a heck of a lot for what's basically a 15 year old diesel supermini.

 

Get a Daihatsu Charade Diesel Turbo!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-dtO-B300A

Oh yes...! I didn’t even think about the Charade!